My 60 day challenge starts in about a month. To prepare, I’ve been going to class as often as possible. For example, over the last 14 days I think I went 12 times. I’ve never been able to make it more than seven days in a row due to my current schedule and responsibilities. I am curious to see what happens when I start the challenge and get about two weeks in.

Anyways, all this going to yoga all the time has helped me figure a few things out. Some of these things have made my practice nicer (not necessarily easier, just nicer). I thought I would take a moment and share them. I bet I will figure out more when I am in the challenge.

1. The more you go, the better it gets. Holy crap. I thought that when the instructors said this it was just a way to try to get you to come back for any reason. Turns out it’s actually true. That doesn’t mean all my classes are so easy-breezey. It just means I am generally enjoying myself more. I notice changes happening in my postures, and then I am excited to see what they will be like the next time. Which brings me to this point….

2. The more you come, the sooner you will see the changes you want to see. Yes. Definitely. But I think it’s also important to know that you might go forward a lot in one posture and then hit a wall for awhile or regress just a bit. I notice that when I regress in one or two poses that I am moving forward in others. It’s a strange cycle. I think it all balances out.

3. The trick to balancing stick is…..breathing. I figured this out a week ago. It’s not just about breathing in and out in the same way you might in other postures. It’s about breathing in and out very steady and slowly. By the time I breathe in (counting to one very slowly) and breathe out (counting to two very slowly), the posture is half over (remember it’s supposed to be 10 seconds total). Sometimes I do lose my balance and fall out. But, if I breathe slowly I find that I can generally maintain my balance without losing my breath. When I come out of the posture my heart rate is up, but not as fast as usual, and my breathing is steadier.

4. The secret to camel and triangle is….I have no clue. Do you? Please tell me. Right now my secret is to do it to the best of my ability. I think my biggest insight was to stop fighting the postures. Don’t rail against them. Just do them the best you can, and it gets better (I think). Which leads me to my final tip/secret….

5. It’s ok to hate some of the postures. You are not required to like them, but do not let your dislike for them become a justification for not doing them. “Oh, I hate triangle. It makes my hips hurt. I’ll skip it.” No. Not cool (I can say this because I used to skip triangle ALL the time). Yes, it does make my hips hurt usually. What can I do with triangle today? Triangle and I don’t have to like each other, but we do have to be in the same room and have a professional relationship for a few minutes each class. So I have to find a way to establish a solid working relationship with it. Maybe someday we will work through our differences and have a much stronger relationship.